Interesting hand from this week that I had to discuss, only because it sealed me a massive chip lead that led to me taking the entire table. Yep, I had a pretty good week.

So, we're over my friend, The Sheriff's place for one final big poker game before he skirts off to Hartford. We (okay I) call him the Sheriff for his insane bad luck at getting beat on fifth street on hands he statistically should be winning. It's truly a site to watch his pocket cowboys go all in after the flop hits with a king, only to lose to someone who has pocket 5s, and ends up getting a straight from the board (for anyone that's confused there, picture the board looking 7-9-K-8-6).

Anyway, we started our No Limit Table with 9 players, each with 50 chips, with blinds starting at 1-2, and increasing by one every 12 minutes. Early on, I got short stacked, and had to go all in twice just to get back to even, but as the game progressed and people slowly became weeded out, my game was tight, both literally and figuratively.

So, we've been at it for about an hour an half, and the blinds are at 7-14 (yes, I know, odd blinds), and there are four of us left. I've got the chip lead, and am on the big blind holding Kh-Qc. The two players without any money in the hand both fold, and the small blind calls. I like to play aggressive with paint, so I double the BB and am called.

The flop comes 6h-Qh-As. My opponent checks, and I bet 14, to get a feel. In response, he raises and goes All-In, with the short stack. So, I have a decision to make. I have second pair with an excellent kicker, but that Ace is on the board. If I call and lose this All-In, I'd drop to the bottom of the pack, and have a hard time recovering with the blinds the size they are. But I have the chance of knocking out a player who's played surprisingly loose, one I had never played with before. I actually knew beforehand though that he was a very loose player, and would play some crap cards, so there was a possibilty he may have hit a Q as well, or possibly even that 6.

I haven't been playing poker seriously for that long, but I can honestly say, this was probably the toughest decision I've had to make, and definately the longest. It took me more than two minutes to make a decision, watching the guy intently, tring to get any type of read. I even show my cards to a friend of mine who was kicked out earlier, and he just shook his head, telling me he'd have no idea how to play it. My opponent has guessed my hand out loud as well, just adding to the pressure.

So, I call. Why? Did I think he was bluffing? Did I think he was trying to steal the pot by not putting me on an Ace? I honestly don't know... in any other case, I probably would not have called, but I had to do it.

He flips over A-5, and I curse explosively, because I've just completely misread him. After a night of playing incredibly smart, I make a horrible rookie call in not respecting the Ace.

But this hand is not over yet... the turn comes, and it's 8h. My runner runner straight possibility that I was secretly crushing on is dead, but the board now has three hearts on it, and with my Kh, I have life... a little life, but some. I'm screaming like that guy at the WSOP (name escapes me, sorry), "Gimme a heart, dealer!" With 44 cards unseen, I've got 9 cards that can come, a 20% chance (sorry for the math).

River comes: Jack of Hearts.

Now it's my opponent's time to curse, as he is kicked off the table to a runner runner flush, a hand I was barely registering when I was making my decision.

The rest of the night was a breeze, I had such a commanding chip lead, I handily took first. But man, looking at this hand... did I even deserve it all?

"Let a man get away with fuckin' you once, you stay bent over so's he can fuck you again whenever he damn well pleases. An' if one man can do it? Another will too. An' another, an' another still. So's being fucked, that's yer life. 'Til who you were, you ain't. 'Cause all you are is an asshole."100 Bullets #42